Consumers love to hear how they can get the most out of their money. It is a great marketing tactic, and it is no different when it comes to your marketing budget. Here are a few ways get the most bang for your buck.

1. Use our "house" paper. Paper prices fluctuate often, so if you have not standardized on a specific paper, ask about less expensive options. If your piece does not demand a specialty paper, opt to use our house paper. We purchase this paper in high volume, so it is almost always the least expensive option.

2. Print four-color in gang runs. The most expensive way to print four-color is for us to run the job by itself on the press. However, with a “gang run,” we run multiple jobs at the same time, then trim them down to size. This can be a great way to get excellent results for less money.

3. Avoid bleeds. If color needs to go to the edge of the page, you can often get a similar effect less expensively by printing on colored paper. Without bleeds, your project might also require less paper or be able to be run on a smaller press.

4. Clean and de-dupe. It is not the most exciting job, but cleaning and de-duping your mailing list can drop your costs dramatically. With a clean list, you are only printing pieces that end up at their intended destinations. Thus, you are not sending multiple pieces to the same home or business.

5. Try new formats. Just because you have always done a brochure for a particular promotion does not mean it is the only option. Experiment with a postcard or other format and see whether you get a better response rate. A little creativity can go a long way toward saving money.

Need more ideas? Let us brainstorm ways to help you get great results and the most from your budget.